


Mystery Kids: In Too Deep

by MayDayGirl_Save_Our_Ships



Category: Coraline (2009), Gravity Falls, ParaNorman (2012), Psychonauts, mystery kids - Fandom
Genre: Dipper's real name briefly mentioned but not really, F/M, Mystery Kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-11
Updated: 2017-06-11
Packaged: 2018-11-12 16:09:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11165367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayDayGirl_Save_Our_Ships/pseuds/MayDayGirl_Save_Our_Ships
Summary: Dipper finds something in the journal that he thinks will interest Raz. There seems to be an entry on breaking curses.





	Mystery Kids: In Too Deep

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! Here is a brief one-shot that takes place during my Mystery Kids Case Files series. You don't need to read the series to enjoy this fic.
> 
> For more fics/information, go to my tumblr: [ mysterykidscasefiles.](http://mysterykidscasefiles.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Time period: First Summer

Dipper stared down at his journal, but he needn’t bother. He already knew the words as he recited them over and over, his lips moving along to each syllable. He had done his research into old languages, he was confident he could pronounce everything correctly. He knew the spell from front to back; there was no way he could make a mistake.

He looked up from the journal to the other kids seated in front of the TV in the Mystery Shack living room. A superhero movie’s credits rolled on the TV screen while a popular song played in the background. The kids sat close together, ignoring credits in favor of talking with each other. Coraline, Lili and Raz seemed to be planning tomorrow’s events, Mabel and Norman were engrossed in a conversation about the movie, and Wybie was explaining something to Neil that he knew far too much about.

Dipper hadn’t known these other kids for long, and he usually didn’t warm up to people very fast, but there was something about surviving horrific life and death situations together that created instant bonds.

Dipper looked back down at his journal. He wanted to help his friend. He didn’t know if it was possible, but if there was even a slim chance that this would work, shouldn’t he take it?

Dipper took a deep breath and snapped the journal closed.

Standing up from his seat on the floor, he walked towards where Raz, Lili and Coraline were sitting.

“Hey… Raz?” Dipper said hesitantly.

Raz turned in his direction. “What’s up, Dipper? Finally coming out of that book to join us?” Raz said with a teasing smirk.

“Yeah, sort of. About the journal…” Dipper trailed off awkwardly. Raz must have realized that something was off, because he was giving Dipper a strange look. Had Raz been reading his mind? Dipper groaned mentally at the prospect. Raz usually didn’t read his friend’s minds on purpose, but like a leaky valve, every so often thoughts would trickle through whether Raz wanted them to or not. For Dipper, this was probably the most challenging part about being friends with Raz. He hated the idea of someone else reading his private thoughts.

Raz’s smile faltered. “What about the journal?”

“I thought you might be interested to know that there is a page in here about breaking curses.” Dipper gestured awkwardly to the journal.

Raz’s eyes widened and the room fell silent. All eyes turned to Dipper and Raz.

“You’re… you’re serious?” Raz asked, slowly coming out of his initial stupor.

Dipper shrugged. “I don’t know if it will work. I’ve never tried to break a curse before, and yours seems really strong if it affects your whole family. I’m not even sure if I have the right spell to break it…” Dipper felt like he was rambling now. “Or if it can even be broken by a spell, but… I mean, there is a chance it could work.”

Raz didn’t seem to be able to speak. He just kept staring up at Dipper, his mouth hanging open.

“What happens if it doesn’t work?” Lili asked.

“Nothing happens,” Dipper answered. “It’s not dangerous to try, unless I get the words wrong, but I won’t get them wrong,” he insisted. “If it doesn’t work, then nothing will change.”

“Is this a good idea?” Wybie asked. “Messing with magic doesn’t seem very smart. How do you know you can even use magic anyway?”

“I told you I’ve used a spell to raise an army of the undead before, right?” Dipper rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. “It didn’t work out the way I planned, but that’s beside the point. It seems like almost anyone can do magic if they have the right words. I’ve been studying this spell and I know I can pronounce it correctly, but-.”

“But you don’t know if it will work,” Coraline finished for him.  

“Exactly. It’s up to Raz if he-”

“Let’s do it,” Raz said suddenly, jumping to his feet.  

“Really?”

“Yeah! From what you’ve said there’s no risk, right? You know how to perform the spell or you wouldn’t have brought it up.”

Raz was right about that. Dipper had been planning this for weeks. He didn’t want to say anything until he could be absolutely sure he could use the spell on his friend without hurting him.

“And I’ll regret it for the rest of my life if we don’t at least try,” Raz finished.

Dipper nodded numbly. “O-okay, I just have to get the potion ready. It should be done by tomorrow morning.”

“Wait, wait, potion?” Lili asked, getting to her feet. “What exactly are you feeding my boyfriend, Pines?”

“Yeah, Bro-bro,” Mabel said. “I trust you when it comes to journal stuff, but you aren’t exactly a master in the kitchen. Anything you make should be tested first.”

Dipper sighed and rolled his eyes. “If this is about the time I made pancakes, I didn’t know the cookbook was cursed, okay? Anyone could have made that mistake!”

“Umm, guys?” Norman interrupted. “Maybe Dipper can show us what’s going to be in this potion? I think that will make everyone feel better.”

“Right,” Dipper agreed. “It’s surprisingly normal kitchen stuff. We need a lot of vinegar for some reason. Oh, and some of Raz’s hair.”

Raz wrinkled his nose in disgust.

“Sorry, there is always one weird ingredient. Be lucky it’s your own hair. A surprising number of the potions in here ask for gnome beard hair.”

“Oh, I have some of that!” Mabel volunteered happily.  

Dipper raised an eyebrow at his sister. “Yes, and as disgusted as I am that you kept that, you should hold onto it, because apparently it’s a valuable ingredient.”

“Weird,” Mabel said.

Lili raised an eyebrow at her. “No, the weird part is that you kept the hair not knowing it was useful.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Neil volunteered. “I can find the ingredients for the potion.”

“Sure,” Dipper said. “The potion will need to chill overnight but you can help me prepare it.” Dipper glanced at the girl reading intently over his shoulder. “And Lili can stand there silently judging everything I do because she thinks I’m going to poison Raz.”

Raz chuckled. “It’s how she shows she cares.” He paused, glancing over at the journal himself. “But seriously, I would appreciate it if you didn’t poison me.”

* * *

 

“Well… here it is,” Dipper said as he handed a Mystery Shack mug filled with black liquid over to Raz.

“Well, that looks appetizing,” Coraline remarked sarcastically.

Hesitantly, Raz took the cold mug which had been chilling in the refrigerator overnight.

He sniffed the mug and made a face, sticking out his tongue in disgust. “This smells awful!”

“Oh! Let me smell it!” Mabel took the mug from him, and after sticking her nose into the cup, gagged and held it away from her as if it had physically assaulted her. “Yuck! That’s gross!”

Of course, after that, everyone had to sniff it for themselves.

“Are you sure you said the words right?” Lili challenged, eyeing the mug distrustfully as she passed it back to Raz.

Dipper rolled his eyes. “Yes, I’ve been studying this stuff. You can trust me, we did everything a hundred percent right. Neil and Mabel even got fresh ingredients at the store, which wasn’t necessary but is recommended.”

“Yeah, don’t worry, my bro is the most detailed oriented person there is, and he wouldn’t let anything bad happen to Raz.”

Lili didn’t look happy (though she rarely did) but this answer seemed to appease her.

“Well, as disgusting as this looks, I trust you,” Raz said, eyeing the mug unhappily. “And if this breaks my family’s curse, then no matter how disgusting it tastes, it will be worth it.”

Raz brought the mug closer to his lips.

“Wait!” Dipper shouted, causing Raz to pause and glance at him out of the corner of his eye.

“What is it?”

“It’s just…” Dipper hesitated, rubbing his upper arm nervously. “You know this might not work, right? The spell might not be strong enough or it might be the wrong kind. You just… shouldn’t get your hopes up. There’s a good chance it won’t work.”

Raz lowered the mug slightly and shook his head. A grin forming at the corners of his mouth.

“I know, Dipper. I get that it’s a long shot. But thanks to you, I get to at least try. And if it doesn’t work then… then I’m no worse off than I was before,” he said with a shrug. “So… here is goes…” He held the mug up and flashed Dipper a grin. “Cheers.”

With one swift movement, Raz downed the entirety of the mug.

The other kids watch, their eyes wide, as Raz finished draining the last of the liquid and began to lower the mug.

Suddenly, Raz froze, his body growing rigid. His hand flew to his mouth as he began coughing violently.  

“Raz!”

The mug in his other hand fell towards the floor, but there was no crash.

Lili caught the mug in the air with her psychic powers out of reflex, but her attention was on Raz. She hovered over him in concern, one hand on his shoulder.

Raz seemed to push back another cough as he swallowed the rest of the liquid in his mouth. Raz attempted to take a breath, now that his mouth was free, but he erupted immediately in another fit of coughs.

“What’s going on?” Neil asked, panicked. “Is he okay?”

“Raz? What’s wrong?” Dipper asked, his voice rising to a higher register. “Are you okay? What do you feel?”

Raz nodded as he continued to cough. His watering eyes only made Dipper worry more.

“F-fine,” Raz managed to get out between coughs. “Just-“

Raz blinked as a glass of water was shoved under his nose, courtesy of Mabel.

Raz let out another spluttering cough as he took the glass from Mabel’s hand and drank it eagerly, pausing to cough only a few times before the liquid was completely gone.

“Thanks,” Raz said as he cleared his throat. He put the empty glass on the counter. “I’m fine. That stuff just tasted nasty.”

Dipper’s shoulders drooped in relief. The other kids let out their own relieved sighs.  

“How do you feel?” Wybie asked. “Any different?”

Raz paused. He flexed his fingers and his eyes fell to the floor in concentration. After a second, he looked up. “Other than the fact that the potion destroyed my taste buds for life, I don’t feel any different.”

“So how do we know if it worked?” Lili asked. “We can’t just throw Raz into the lake to see if he drowns.”

“Yeah, Pines, what’s the plan?” Coraline said as all eyes fell on Dipper.

Dipper rubbed the back of his neck. “Heh, well… about that…”

* * *

 

“I can’t believe you are throwing me into the lake to see if I drown,” Raz said irritably as Wybie strapped him into the self-made harness.

“Don’t worry, I got this all planned out,” Dipper assured him. “If anything happens, we will all pull on the rope and get you out. Wybie hooked up a pulley system, and if that doesn’t work for some reason, Lili will grab you with her psychic powers. If anything happens, think of us as your safety net.”

“Circus metaphor. Nice,” Raz said as he fidgeted with the harness. “At least I’m getting some use out of these stupid swim trunks I bought as part of my under cover. I never thought they would get any real use.”

“Hopefully they will get a lot more use after this too!” Mabel said optimistically.

Raz smiled at the thought, but Dipper noticed the way his eyes darted nervously to the water.

“Raz already tried getting close to the water and that hand-thingy didn’t appear,” Neil said. “Doesn’t that mean it worked?”

“It’s a good sign,” Coraline said. “But we won’t know if it worked for sure until Raz gets into the water.”

“Do you think the curse is trying to trick us?” Norman asked. “Can it do that?”

“Don’t know,” Dipper said. “But better safe than drowned.” He turned to Wybie. “Did you check to make sure the pulley system is secure on the tree?”

Wybie scoffed. “This pulley system is my own design. I did more than just fasten it to the tree. I also used my own variation of a threefold purchase to-”

“That’s Wybie-speak for yes,” Coraline confirmed while placing a hand on her friend’s shoulder.

“I still don’t think this is a good idea,” Lili said while biting her thumbnail.  

“It’s probably not,” Raz said with a grin. “But you’ll be there to pull me out if I get in over my head… uhh, literally.”

Lili’s hand settled on her hip, a smile on her lips. “Yeah, and what else is new, Aquato?”

“Okay, I think we’re ready,” Dipper said while pulling out his list one more time. “Coraline and Wybie are in charge of the pulley system. Everyone will follow their lead if we need to pull Raz out. Lili, you’re stationed by the water ready with your telekinesis.”

Not even Lili made a snarky comment about being told what to do as she and the rest of the Mystery Kids got into position.

“And Raz…” Dipper looked over at the boy. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“Alright, here goes everything.” Raz said as he pulled his goggles down over his eyes.

Dipper watched worriedly as Raz approached the lakeside. He had to admit, Raz did look pretty cool as he stepped into the water without a hint of trepidation. If Dipper didn’t know any better, he would think the kid was fearless. However, Dipper did know better. He knew Raz was good at putting on a show, not just for them, but also for himself.

Raz was knee deep in the water now, and still there was no reaction from his curse. Surely the curse would have tried to pull him in by now, right? Hope began to rise in Dipper’s chest as Raz continued to walk deeper and deeper into the lake.

”It… it looks like it worked.” Wybie said in amazement. “You actually did it.”

“Great job, Dip!” Mabel said with a laugh. “Now we don’t have to worry about-“

She stopped short, her eyes growing wide as she stared out onto the lake.

Instantly, Dipper saw what she was looked at. A huge, watery hand, at least triple the size of the hands that usually haunted Raz, had breached the surface of the lake and was hovering in front of the boy, like a serpent ready to strike.

Raz took a fearful step back, but the water was already up to his stomach, and he would never make it to land on time.

“Oh… crap,” Raz breathed.

The hand of Galochio lunged. It wrapped it’s long fingers around Raz’s torso and yanked him under.

The rope attached to his harness hissed as it was harshly yanked out of Wybie’s hands, and without any force to stop it, spun uncontrollably out of the pulley.

“The rope!” Dipper yelled, and Wybie made a dash for it.

Wybie cried out in pain as he managed to catch the rope, but his hand was stuck between the rope and the pulley. Thankfully, he was wearing gloves and despite almost crushing his hand, he managed to hold on. Coraline grabbed the end of the rope and gave it a substantial tug, freeing Wybie.

“I thought you had the safety on!” she yelled.

“I had to turn it off to give him some more slack!” Wybie shouted back. “We have to pull him out!” Cradling his injured hand to his chest, Wybie gave the rope a strong tug with his other hand, but it barely budged.

“We have to do it together,” Norman shouted as he, Neil, and Mabel grabbed the rope and begun to pull.

“Lili, can you pull him out?” Dipper shouted.

Lili was knee deep in the water, a hand to her temple, the other hand outstretched over the water.

“I-I think I have him, but it’s pulling him down so hard, I can’t-“

“Just keep trying!” Dipper shouted as he moved to join the other kids at the end of the rope.

“Pull on three!” Coraline shouted. “One, two, three!”

The kids yanked, pulling the rope back no more than a foot. It was working, but slowly.

“It- it almost seemed mad,” Neil said as he huffed. “Like… like the curse knew he tried to get rid of it.”

“One, two, three!” Coraline shouted and they pulled again.

“Focus, guys,” Dipper said. “We can’t think about that right now. We have to-”

“Again, one, two, three!” They yanked, but this time they lost their footing as they all went flying back. The rope going slack.

“What happened?” Mabel asked.

Coraline gave the rope a few more generous pulls before the harness that should have been attached to Raz was pulled out of the water.

“It… it undid his harness!” Neil shouted.

“No… that’s not possible. He must have just… slipped out somehow,” Wybie reasoned.

Dipper ran to the water’s edge. “Lili, where is he?”

“I- I still have him! He’s not far! He’s… No!”

“What? What is it?”

“No, no, no! I lost him!” Lili cried. “He was moving too fast, and I couldn’t focus! I think he’s unconscious now, so I can’t track him!”

“You said he wasn’t far, right?” Dipper asked as he kicked off his shoes. “I have an idea. Use this!” He threw his hat at her.

She caught it, staring down at it in surprise as Dipper ran into the water. He disappeared beneath the surface. The murky water stung his eyes, but his vision began to clear as he swam deeper.

According to Lili, Raz wasn’t far, and the curse didn’t need to carry him far away. It only needed to pull him down.

As the sediment in the water settled, Dipper was able to get a clearer view of the bottom, but he still didn’t see Raz.

 _That way!_  Lili’s voice rang through his head. He could feel her in his mind, looking through his eyes. He was glad she managed to figure out what he meant when he had thrown her his hat. Having something of his would make clairvoyance easier, and she would be able to track him no matter how far out he had to go.  

Dipper followed her advice and swam further from shore.  

 _To your left! I sensed him disappear somewhere around there!_  Lili shouted.

Dipper winced at how loud she was in his head. She was panicking and Dipper couldn’t blame her. This was all his fault. If he had never suggested that they try to break the curse, they wouldn’t be in this situation.

Dipper swam to the left, his eyes scanning the bottom of the lake. What if Raz’s curse pulled him farther out? Would Dipper ever find him? Already, Dipper could feel pressure build in his lungs, but he couldn’t go up for air now. The longer Dipper took to find him, the more likely Raz would…

 _Come on, come on,_ Dipper’s own thoughts repeated in his mind on a loop.  _Come on… please…_

 _There!_  Lili screamed in his head.  _Raz!_

Startled, Dipper squinted down at the lake floor. Sure enough, something metallic caught his eye just a few feet to his left. Raz’s metal goggles were still strapped to his unconscious head as he lay motionless at the bottom of the lake.

The hand of Galochio was nowhere in sight, perhaps because it had already accomplished its goal.

Dipper hastily swam over to his unconscious friend and wrapped his arm tightly around his waist. He pushed off of the lake floor and sped towards the surface. His lungs burned and he kicked his feet to go faster. Raz weighed almost nothing in his arms, but still, their rise to the surface was dauntingly slow.

Suddenly, their speed picked up as Dipper felt Lili’s psychic grasp wrap around him and pull them upwards.

He looked up and could see the sun shining through the surface of the water. His lungs were ready to burst, but he could wait just a few more seconds… just a few more…

Dipper nearly gasped as Raz was yanked downwards and almost pulled out of his hands. Dipper gripped the boy tighter in panic. He looked down to see a dark watery hand wrapping itself around Raz’s leg.

They were at a standstill. Dipper could feel Lili struggle to pull them upwards, but the hand of Galochio’s sturdy grip on Raz was immovable.

Dipper kicked with all his might. His chest bursting with the need to breathe. He could feel himself grow lightheaded. If Dipper passed out now they would lose Raz again, this time maybe for good.

 _Dipper, hold on to Raz tightly, got it?_  Lili instructed, but she didn’t need to tell him. Dipper already had a death grip around his Raz’s waist. It would take more than just some curse to take his friend away from him.

 _Give me back my boyfriend you stupid hand!_  Lili shouted. Lili’s presence in his head increased. He could feel all of Lili’s fear and desperation pour into him. He was rising again, faster this time. Dipper could feel the hand of Galochio pulling at Raz’s foot, but as long as Dipper held on, it was no match for Lili’s power.

Dipper broke the surface, breathing in deep gulps of fresh air.

They were flying above the water and towards the shore. The hand of Galochio had retreated back into the water, leaving behind a harmless, tranquil lake.  

Lili had pulled them out of the lake so fast, they barely had time to slow down before Raz and Dipper landed hard on the lake shore.

Dipper had the air knocked out of his lungs as he landed on his back, his eyes staring up at the sky, unfocused. He tried to breathe, but his body convulsed, and he curled into himself as he began to cough.

To his right, Dipper vaguely heard the sound of coughing, gagging and someone trying desperately to inhale as much air as possible while their body tried to expel water from their lungs. The hard fall from the air may have expelled some of the water from Raz’s airways.

He also heard the other kids shouting Raz’s name worriedly. He desperately wanted to turn and look to see if his friend was okay, but his weak arms were shaking too much to lift himself off the ground. After a few more deep breaths, he was able to clear the dizziness from his his head.

He felt a hand on his shoulder grab him and lift him into a sitting position. He blinked up at the person helping him, and Mabel’s worried eyes stared down at him.

Dipper managed to sit up, leaning heavily on his sister. He looked over at Raz, who was laying on his side, breathing in air greedily. He seemed to have expelled most of the water in his lungs now, but just when it seemed like Raz could breathe uninterrupted, his body would convulse into a series of violent coughs.

Dipper just stared blankly at his friend, his whole body numb.

Raz had almost died, and not because of some monster or during a mission as a psychonaut, but because of him.

He felt so stupid. Of course he couldn’t break Raz’s curse. Dipper had no idea what he had been doing, and he had tried anyway.

Dipper’s eyes widened in shock when he heard Raz let out a small laugh. Raz was lying flat on the ground staring up at the sky as the other kids kneeled beside him.

“Well, I guess that was a bust,” Raz said and let out another chuckle, and then- “Ow!”

Raz rubbed his sore arm as he looked over at his girlfriend.

Lili pulled her arm back to her side after landing a substantial punch to Raz’s arm. “Do you think this is funny?” she snapped angrily.

Raz gave her a sheepish smile as he began to sit up. “Sorry,” he apologized, and reached over to give her hand a squeeze. “But I’m okay,” he whispered.

Lili scowled and looked away. Dipper wasn’t sure if Lili was mad at Raz for putting himself in danger in the first place, for joking about it, or both. Come to think of it, Lili was probably pissed at Dipper too, since it had been his idea. He really couldn’t blame her.

Dipper leaned away from Mabel to sit up on his own. “I’m sorry,” Dipper said quietly.

Raz couldn’t make it all the way up to a sitting position, so he settled for resting on his left forearm.  He raised an eyebrow at Dipper. “What are you sorry for?” Raz asked. “It’s not your fault it didn’t work.”

Dipper shrugged, only now realizing how heavy his shoulders were. “I’m sorry I even suggested it. I should have known it wouldn’t work. This is my fault.”

Lili turned on him, her eyes alight. She got to her feet, causing her to tower over him. Dipper felt his mouth go dry.

“Did you know it wouldn’t work?” Lili demanded, her hands on her hips.

“N-No, of course not! But it was stupid to think it would. I shouldn’t have even-“

“Raz is a Psychonaut,” Lili interrupted, her lips pressed together in a thin line. “He’s responsible for his own decisions, no matter how stupid and reckless they are.”

“Yeah, but-” Dipper continued in frustration, but was cut off.

“You warned him it might not work.” Lili continued with a scowl. “We all knew it might not, which is why we tried to prepare in case it didn’t.”

“But we should have been more prepared!” Dipper pressed. “I should have had a better plan to test if the spell worked. I didn’t think he would get pulled out of his harness.”

Lili sighed, her scowl softening, but only for a moment. Dipper saw a flash of blue and felt something soft rest upon his head. He reached up and touched the brim of his hat. He hadn’t even noticed she still had it.

Lili shook her head. “You can’t be prepared for everything, duffus. Sometimes shit just happens, and we have to deal with it.”

“Umm… guys? If I can have a say in this?” Raz ventured.

Lili shot him an annoyed look, but didn’t say anything.

“First off, I’m pretty sure you saved my life,” Raz pointed out. “So even though your original backup plans didn’t work, I would say that you dealt with it pretty well.”

Dipper rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, Lili did most of the saving.”

“That’s not how Lili tells it,” Raz said. “She would have never been able to get me out of the water if it wasn’t for you, so… thanks.” When Dipper raised an eyebrow in confusion, Raz pointed to his head in explanation.

Ah, telepathy.  

“Yeah, it was really cool!” Neil added enthusiastically. “You just jumped in the water with no hesitation!”

“That’s my brother,” Mabel said, attempting to nuggie him over his hat.

Dipper pushed her away with little success, her arm still finding a way to stay around his shoulder.

“And just so you know, I don’t regret it,” Raz said. “Even though it didn’t work, I’m glad we still tried.”

“Seriously?” Coraline asked. “Even though it almost killed you?”  

“Well… yeah,” Raz said with a shrug. “I got to try to break my family’s curse. That was more than I ever hoped for, and sure, it didn’t work, but maybe one day we will find a spell that will work. If we do, I hope you will help me with it. I uh, wouldn’t trust anyone else.”

Dipper froze. Again? Raz wanted him to go through that again?

Raz’s smile wavered in concern. “Dipper? Are you okay?”

“Yeah… yeah…” Dipper began, and suddenly he found that he couldn’t look his friend in the eye. “I’m just thinking about all of this. Everything that happened, and I’m sorry about how it turned out.”

“Dipper, we’ve been over this. It’s not your fault it didn’t work.”

Dipper shook his head. “No, not that. I just know how important it was to you and I’m just… sorry it didn’t work.”

“Oh…” Raz said softly. “Yeah… me too.”

When Dipper looked back at Raz, he was no longer looking at him, but back out towards the lake.

“You know,” Raz continued. “For a moment there, I really thought it was going to work. I really thought-” He cut himself off with an empty, humorless laugh. “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. Back to square one, right?”

“A-About that,” Dipper said hesitantly. “Raz, what happened today… that was really bad. If Lili hadn’t spotted you, I might have been too late. I don’t want to go through that again.”

Raz had almost died today. How could he be a part of that again? Raz might have been brave enough to risk his own life, but Dipper wasn’t brave enough to put his friend’s life at risk.

But then he saw Raz’s eager expression fall. His friend had still been so hopeful that they would still be able to find a cure, even after almost losing his life today. Then, Dipper realized something. Raz didn’t have a choice. The curse would kill him either way. He would either eventually drown like the curse predicted, or he could risk his life and try to break it.  

Raz didn’t choose to risk his life today because he wanted to. He did it because he had to.

This also explained Lili’s attitude towards the whole thing. She usually didn’t like letting them take unnecessary risks, but she had supported Raz with trying to break his curse, even if she had been protective and grumpy the entire time.

Dipper was terrified he would fail again, and maybe next time, they wouldn’t be able to save Raz. It scared Dipper that he would get it wrong and let Raz down, but not as much as finally realizing that if he did nothing, the curse would kill his friend anyway.

Raz sighed. “I had a feeling you would say that, and you’re right.  It’s not fair of me to ask you to go through that again, especially since even if you find another spell, there is no guarantee that it will work. This is my problem to deal with. It’s not right for me to involve you guys.”

“No, that’s not…” Dipper trailed off in frustration. “It’s not just your problem to deal with, and I didn’t mean to make you feel that way.” Dipper swept his wet hair away from his forehead, pushing it back into his hat in a nervous gesture, unknowingly almost exposing his birthmark. “It’s true that I don’t want to ever go through that again, but I was so wrapped up in my own fear of making a mistake, that I  wasn’t thinking properly. There is only one way to make sure you never get that close to drowning again.”

“How?” Raz asked.

“We have to break your curse.”

Raz stared, his mouth parting in surprise. “But if we try and it doesn’t work-”

“Then we’ll deal with it, and we will keep dealing with it until we get it right.” Dipper said with renewed determination. Lili was right. Sometimes shit just happened.

“But this isn’t right. I can’t expect you to-”

“Let’s see… risking our lives, dealing with the supernatural, and getting in too deep with something we barely understand.” Dipper counted each item off on his fingers. “Sound familiar? We’re the Mystery Kids, it’s what we do.”

Raz let out an incoherent noise that was a mix of bewilderment and stunned laughter.

“But if we are going to do this, we are going to do this right,” Dipper said. “I thought I had already accounted for all the possible things that could go wrong, but I underestimated your curse. Next time we will be even more prepared. Also, we can’t just try out random spells the author left behind. We should research curses more, and see if we can learn anything about the Galochio family.”

“Maybe there are other things that can break curses besides just spells,” Coraline said. “Knowing Gravity Falls, there are things that are even more powerful than an ancient family curse.”

“Like a magical wish granting lemur!” Mabel supplied.

“Or just a normal wish granting genie,” Wybie added.

“Or that, for those of us that hate imagination,” Mabel said while elbowing Wybie playfully.

Wybie winced and attempted to rub his shoulder inconspicuously.  

“I can ask some of the older ghosts and see if they know anything about curses,” Norman supplied. “I think some of the ghosts used to be part of different secret societies, like the Masons.”

Dipper winced but recovered quickly. “It might take a while, maybe even a few years to figure this out, but with all of us working on it, I think we have a chance.”

“Thank you,” Raz said suddenly. “Even if it turns out to be impossible, just…  thank you all for at least trying.”

“Silly Raz,” Mabel said with a giggle. “Haven’t you been living in Gravity Falls long enough to know? Here, nothing is impossible.”

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to leave a comment if you enjoyed!


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